Think back to 1998. What were you doing at the time? Maybe you just got done watching The Titanic on a two-set VHS. Or maybe you just got done playing your Sega Dreamcast.
1998 was the last time the Raiders had a player that won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award (Charles Woodson).
But could that change in 2023? Could this be the year that the Raiders have a rookie in contention to win the award? In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he took a look at the favorites to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
After Will Anderson (Texans), the player with the next-best odds to win the award is Tyree Wilson of the Raiders. Here is what Sikkema said about his chances to take home the award this season:
Pass-rush win rate is fairly reliable as a translatable stat from college to the NFL. In his breakout season, Wilson recorded a 23.0% pass-rush win rate, which led all first-round pass rushers.
His foot injury, which was a topic of conversation during the pre-draft process, might hold him back from really hitting the ground running his rookie season, so keep that in mind. But if we get a full year from him, we know opposing offensive lines will be paying a lot of attention to Maxx Crosby on the other side. That should free up Wilson to get opportunistic one-on-ones.
Wilson should have plenty of opportunities to rush the passer in Las Vegas, so that won’t be an issue. But will he be able to convert all of his pass-rush snaps into sacks? That will be the question.
However, he has all of the traits to be a dominant pass rusher in the NFL. He just needs to prove he can stay healthy and put things together to become a Pro Bowl-level pass rusher at the next level.
